A remarkable discovery was made on the shores of UC Santa Barbara’s Coal Oil Point Reserve in Southern California – a seven-foot fish that belongs to a species never before seen in North America. Known as the Hoodwinker sunfish (Mola tecta), this unique creature was originally found in the waters off Christchurch, New Zealand in 2014, making it the first new species of sunfish to be discovered in over 130 years. The fish, which is typically found in regions around Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Chile, was a surprising sight on the Californian coastline.
The discovery of the Hoodwinker was made by Jessica Nielsen, a conservation specialist, after the fish washed up dead on the shore at the Reserve. The fish had such striking and unusual features that it caught the attention of marine experts and scientists alike. Upon closer inspection, it was determined that this fish was indeed the elusive Hoodwinker, distinct from the ocean sunfish that many had initially thought it to be.
Ralph Foster, a fish scientist at the South Australian Museum, came across pictures of the fish on iNaturalist and suspected that it could be the Hoodwinker. After further analysis and collaboration with Marianne Nyegaard, the scientist who first discovered and named the fish, it was confirmed that the fish found in California was indeed the mysterious Hoodwinker sunfish. Nyegaard was astounded by the discovery, as the Hoodwinker had managed to go unnoticed and misidentified for so long.
This unprecedented find has raised questions about the origins and distribution of the Hoodwinker. Nyegaard plans to conduct comparison tests with samples of the fish found in California, Australia, and New Zealand to better understand its movements and existence. The use of platforms like iNaturalist has been crucial in documenting and studying rare and unknown species like the Hoodwinker, showcasing the importance of global collaboration in scientific research.
